Fervid Hearts
by simphony
Summary: Jude meets Tommy on her eighteenth birthday. Two people who don't believe in love find themselves stuck in it. But not everyone is happy about that.
1. Chapter 1

**Part 1:**

"Just once," Jude lamented as she leaned towards her best friend Jamie, "I'd like to be the center of their attention. It's my eighteenth birthday. One would believe that warrants some form of parental interest."

Jamie played with his fork as they were waiting for Jude's sister Sadie, her boyfriend, and some other friend to arrive. Jude's parents had invited them for dinner to celebrate her birthday. Her parents were sitting across, stuck in an argument. "They are going through a rough patch," he soothed her, "give them some time."

"They are arguing about the size of a napkin," Jude pointed out annoyed. "That's not a rough patch. That's way past fixable." But she smiled at his attempt to lighten her mood. "Thanks for being my friend, Jamie. I don't know what I would do without you."

"Whither in loneliness?"

Jude laughed. "Seriously. You're a great friend!" Her eyes roamed the empty seats. "If only you could make Sadie and her entourage appear..."

He nodded. "I'm hungry too."

"What's her deal, anyway? She's dating Kwest, who is a very nice guy. He actually is the first of her long list of boyfriends that I like." The fact the he was working as a producer at Canada's most successful record label had a little bit to do with that. Her entire life, Jude had been interested in music. Her biggest dream still was to be a singer one day. "She's constantly going to fancy industry parties where she manages to appear in time to walk that hideous, red carpet with Kwest. She can't be in time for my birthday?"

Jamie shrugged. "Maybe it's that friend they wanted to pick up?"

"Right," Jude sighed. "Kwest's ominous best friend from New York. How come she's bringing more guests to my party than I am?"

"Because Spied, Wally and Kyle are busy playing at Iggy's tonight. And Kat, well...she's not here because of me, so sorry for that."

"Too bad you guys broke up. You never told me why."

He shook his head slightly. "It's not important. We didn't fit. In the end it was the best thing to do."

"Still," Jude objected. "I liked that you guys were dating. You made such a cute couple. Does she have another one?"

"No. Look, there's actually something I wanted to talk to you about. And since we're waiting for—"

"Oh, not waiting any longer!" Jude pointed towards the empty seats. "Look who finally arrived. Princess Sadie and her posse."

Sadie smiled apologetically. "Hey little sister. Sorry to be so late, but picking up Tom took a little longer than expected."

While Sadie explained their late arrival, Kwest leaned towards Jude and gave her a quick hug. "Happy Birthday." Then he handed her an envelope he pulled from his pocket. "Two tickets for The Verve tomorrow night. Front row. Enjoy!"

"Kwest!" Jude was stunned. "Thank you so much!"

"Yeah," Sadie added, albeit not quite so happy. "That's really nice of you. I thought you were taking me to that concert." To demonstrate her displeasure, she took the seat furthest away from Jude. Kwest, always being the good boyfriend, took the seat next to her, leaving Jude to sit next to the new guy.

He introduced himself at last. "Tom Quincy. I'm really sorry to be the reason your dinner starts later than planned. Trouble at customs."

"Were you caught with drugs?"

Before the guy had a chance to reply, or take offense, Jude blushed furiously. She covered her face with both hands. "I'm so sorry. That was a really bad, mean joke." She sheepishly looked at him. "I haven't eaten all day, my parents are arguing and my sister is offended I got a present, even though it's my birthday and not hers. I'm Jude, and normally I am a much nicer person." She finally held out her hand for him.

He shook her hand as he took his seat. "No offense taken." His mood, though, betrayed his words. "I'm a producer in the music biz. Chances are high I actually was carrying drugs," he snorted. "Us music people, we're all just a bunch of druggies, right?"

Jude scoffed. "Are you kidding? I apologized."

"Good for you." He took the menu and scanned it. "Your arguing parents, your offended sister and your rumbling stomach are a really good excuse for your rude behavior. So, lets just order, eat and then pretend we never met. Maybe that will help with ending this day on a good note."

Jude crossed her arms, slightly embarrassed he'd heard her stomach. "Jerk!"

"Oh, mean one!" he mocked.

"Jude, just ignore him," Jamie advised from her other side.

Tommy nodded. "Better listen to your friend."

"Don't tell me what to do!" She wasn't so sure to whom she said it to. But she retorted at Tommy, "I'm a genuinely nice person and this is my eighteenth birthday. I can't believe you just swagger in, act all snarky, and then have the guts to sit here, smirk and eat on my parents' dime. How is Kwest even friends with you?"

"Beats me," he admitted cockily.

"Jude," Jamie tried again, "just talk to me instead of him. He's clearly an idiot. No wonder Sadie is hanging out with him."

At that, Tommy gave a short, unamused smile. "Smart friend you have there. And he turns out to be just as rude as you are."

Jude took her glass of coke, sipped from it and then took a deep breath. "I won't let some moron ruin my day," she decided. Demonstratively turning away from Tommy, she smiled warmly at Jamie. "What did you want to tell me earlier?"

"Something really personal, to be honest. Maybe at a later time—"

"No, no," Jude protested, "now is the perfect time. Tell me, please."

Jamie gulped. "Well, you know...the thing with me and Kat is over and you and Spied broke up almost a year ago and you haven't been with anyone since, so...I was wondering if you and I...someday..."

Jude frowned, about to ask what exactly Jamie meant, when she heard Tommy chuckling. She turned towards him. "Something funny?"

"Not yet," he murmured.

"My friend," she roared, "was about to tell me something very important and you're disrupting us. Shut up, okay?" As if to punish Tommy, she gathered her entire attention and placed it at Jamie's feet. "What were you saying?"

"Will you go out with me tomorrow night, after the concert?"

"Go out where?"

Tommy was laughing again.

"Drop dead," she sneered over her shoulder. "Sorry, Jamie. Where would we go? Oh wait, Kat's amateur fashion show is tomorrow. You want to take me there to help you win her back?"

"Man, are you stupid," Tommy muttered.

Jude spun around. "What the hell is your problem, huh? My friend just broke up with his girlfriend and he's asking me for my help!"

"Actually," Jamie interrupted.

But Tommy cut him off. "Your best friend just asked you out on a date!"

"No, he didn't," Jude corrected.

"Yes, I did," Jamie professed.

"He's my best friend. Like a brother."

"He's the one trying to ask you out," Tommy noted, "but you're busy arguing with me. What does that tell you?"

"That you're annoying," Jude pointed out. "So I'm going to ignore you now!" With attitude she turned her back to Tommy and looked at Jamie with wide eyes. "You and Kat—"

"No, me and you," Jamie stressed. "He's right. I asked you out. On a date."

"A date? A, um, like, real one?"

This time she actually did ignore Tommy's laughter. Jamie grew uneasy and fidgeted with the fork again. "We know each other and I like you. A lot. And I've been meaning to ask you out for a long time, but—"

"But we're friends," Jude reminded him.

"We could be more."

"Jamie, I…" Jude didn't know what to say. She had never thought about him in that way and she doubted she would ever see him as anything other than her best friend. She had seen him grow up like she'd seen Sadie grow up. She had always considered him family. A sibling. "You're my best friend," she repeated, at a loss for better responses.

"You're right, forget it." Smiling brightly, painfully forced, Jamie focused on his menu when the waitress arrived. "Let's just never speak of this again. So, how about the chicken?"

Jude needed a moment. Then she adjusted in her seat, uneasy and unsure how to react to Jamie now. "Sure, chicken sounds fine."

"Very graceful," Tommy whispered, leaning slightly towards her. "People in China could hear his heart break!"

She would have said something snide and deriving but when his breath fanned her jaw, she had to close her eyes for the briefest amount of time to steady herself. All of sudden, an unnerving surge of electricity was spreading all across her skin. It was a completely fascinating feeling. Rather a sensation. Until his words sank in. "I didn't break his heart," she flared angrily. She was mad at him for pointing out the obvious, but she was just as mad at herself for having disappointed Jamie. Mostly, though, she was pissed off because her body was betraying her and yearning for Tommy to lean in and whisper something else. Anything.

When the waitress asked her what she wanted to eat, she said 'Chicken' because she couldn't remember any other item from the menu and suddenly wasn't even all that hungry anymore, let alone interested in a long dinner.

"You want anything to drink with that?"

"Vodka," she said flatly.

"Jude, you're not having Vodka!" Victoria, her mother objected firmly.

"Now you're paying attention?" Jude mumbled. "Fine. Water. Just hurry with the food..."

Jude had not finished her dinner, and she was trying really hard to finish fast, when Jamie pushed his platter away and got up. "I'm really sorry, Jude. I just remembered that my grandmother needs me to help her do something."

"Right now?" Jude got up as well. "I'll come with you. I'm not hungry anyway and—"

"Jude, sit," her father instructed. "This is your dinner. You can meet up with Jamie tomorrow. We're all here for you."

With a sigh she sat down again. "Jamie, please stay?" She knew he was only leaving because of the whole dating thing. And now she regretted not having said 'yes'. It would have made him happy if she had and a date with him wouldn't have killed her. "Please," she begged once more.

"I'm sorry." And then he was gone.

"This is all your fault," she lashed out at Tommy.

"How is this my fault," he wondered. Sadie, Kwest and her parents – expectedly – all observed them. Jude didn't care.

"You commented on everything Jamie said to me!" Jude pushed her platter aside as well and got up. "You humiliated him."

Tommy shook his head. "You know that's not true. He asked you out and you said 'no'. That's the only reason he left and I can't blame him for that. Who would want to stay after that? This whole mess is all on you, Jill."

"It's Jude!" She snarled, and when he gave her another smug look, she couldn't hold back anymore. Grabbing the glass of red wine in front of Tommy, she took it and poured it over his pristine white shirt. "Thanks for coming to my birthday, jackass!"

"Jude!" Victoria and Stuart were outraged. Kwest was laughing while Sadie just stared in shock. Victoria got up to hand Tommy her napkin, and then Stuart's and Kwest's napkin. "Jude, apologize right away. You're eighteen years old. What on earth is going on with you?!"

"This is me, leaving," Jude said sternly. "Don't follow me!"

Jude found Jamie in the parking lot, unlocking his car. "Jamie, wait. Please!"

"Jude, just let me go. We can talk tomorrow!"

"No! This is all my fault. I go on a date with you! Just don't be mad anymore. I really need you right now. I don't have anyone else."

"So you only want to go out with me to do me a favor?"

"Yes – I mean, no! I mean…I don't know what I mean! I don't want you to stop being my friend!"

"I'm in love with you, Jude."

She couldn't say anything after that, because in that instant she realized she wasn't in love with him and no word in the entire dictionary could express how sorry she was for that.

"You're obviously not in love with me," Jamie concluded. "I need some time for myself."

With teary eyes she watched him drive off.

* * *

"I'm really sorry for last night," Sadie said when she walked into Jude's room the next morning, a chocolate muffin and a mug of coffee in her hands. "Here, for you. You barely ate last night. Figured you'd be hungry."

"Not really," Jude admitted. "Jamie told me he's in love with me."

"Oh Jude. Did you really not know before? It was so obvious. Even Mom said so."

With wide eyes, Jude stared at Sadie. "How was it obvious? I never had any idea. He was dating Kat! He never said anything before. How was I supposed to know? And if you guys all knew, how come no one ever said a word to me?"

"We figured you were ignoring it on purpose. Look, I've seen these things happen before. Jamie will come around. You have been friends your entire life. Give him a few weeks and then all will be normal again."

Jude took the muffin and munched on it. "I hope. He looked so sad last night."

"There was something else I wanted to talk to you about," Sadie said and smiled in a manner that immediately made Jude feel uncomfortable. "You and Tommy really hit it off last night!"

She coughed wildly, almost choking on a piece of muffin. "We what? That bastard? He came in, acted like he's the king of the world, had a comment for everything – we did not hit it off! I hope I will never see him again!"

"He's coming to the concert tonight."

"Sadie! Kwest gave me two tickets, that means I get to decide whom to invite."

"Actually, and I already apologized to Kwest for last night, he got a bunch of tickets. He was part of their album's producing team – never mind, he said he'd take me but I saw him giving the tickets to you, then I got mad, but last night, after you went home, he told me he and I would go as well and because Tommy is his best friend, he'd come, too and—"

"And basically I'm the little sister crashing a group date with you, your boyfriend and who knows who else."

"You can still bring someone!"

"Whom? I can't take Wally, Spied or Kyle because if I pick one, the other two will get jealous. Kat's having her show tonight and I already feel bad enough for not showing up. And Jamie…well, after last night…"

"So come alone. You know me and you know Kwest. You like Kwest!"

"Just make sure I don't stand next to Tommy!"

"Why? I think he likes you."

"Seriously, Sadie? What's he even doing for life? Let me guess, he's a model or an actor or something 'artsy' like that. I bet he feels oh so talented. He sure has the ego for that!" Jude frowned when Sadie gaped at her. "What?"

"You're kidding, right? Tom Quincy? Little Tommy Q? He's the guy that used to hang on my walls everywhere. Boyz Attack? Hello!"

Now Jude's mouth hung open. "No shit!"

"He became a producer after he left the band. He worked for Kwest's boss in New York. But something happened – I don't know what – and now he's staying here for a while. Didn't he tell you he was a producer, last night?"

"I tried my best to ignore him. He's staying here? That means I could run into him at G-Major? That sucks! You finally date a good guy who can give me access to a real record studio and now the world's biggest idiot works there? Life really has it out for me," she whined.

"Oh please, get over yourself. Or better get out of bed. Only ten hours until the concert starts. What should I wear?"

For the first time that day, Jude laughed. Leave it to Sadie to achieve that. "Jeans and a shirt?"

"Duh, a little underdressed? Kwest said we might meet the band!" She hurried into her room and came back with two dresses. Holding them up for Jude, Sadie beamed, "gold or silver? Sequins are big this season!"

"Please don't stand next to me tonight!"

* * *

"So this Jude," Tommy said as he walked next to Kwest backstage, "does she hang out with you a lot?"

Kwest shrugged. "Don't know. Sometimes. Why?"

"Just wondering. She's not exactly friendly."

"You met her at a bad time. She's funny and easy to be around. Give her another chance. You weren't in your best mood last night, either."

Tommy couldn't deny that. After being kicked from job in New York, all because his ex-wife couldn't come to terms with the fact that they were no longer an item, and a forced relocation to Toronto – a city that wasn't exactly the world's hottest spot when it came to music – he had not bothered with social pleasantries last night. He had wanted nothing but a peaceful night at home, but instead of dropping him off at his new apartment, which had been the initial plan, they had figured it best to just bring him along to Jude's birthday. 'To make new friends,' Kwest had said. Tommy had inwardly scoffed. He didn't want new friends. He'd be lucky if he could rid himself of some of his old ones! But Kwest had gushed about the restaurant and the great meals they served and since Tommy had been hungry he had relented and come along. It had been a bad idea, that much was obvious.

"I might have been a bit rude last night," he acknowledged.

"That's one way to call it," said Kwest and chuckled. "You had to rile her up, didn't you?"

"Not on purpose. She just made it so easy."

"Trust me, once you get to know Jude, you'll like her. You guys have a lot in common."

Tommy scowled. "What would that be? I realize when somebody asks me out. If my best friend was in love with me, I'd notice. And I don't accuse random people of being junkies!"

"You consider breaking hearts a sport," Kwest stated and came to a halt. "Look, I really care for Sadie. I don't want you to screw this up for me by making Jude your enemy. Sadie loves her little sister and if she makes me pick sides...well, let's just say I find her much more attractive than you. Be nice when you see Jude tonight and after that, keep your distance. Don't force another argument!"

Holding up his hands, Tommy gave in. "Fine, I get it. I will be on my best behavior tonight."

* * *

"The seat next to you is empty."

Jude gritted her teeth as the familiar voice came up next to her. "Thanks, Tim." She purposely said his name wrong. Just as she was sure he'd done last night. "As you may recall, last night my friend and I had a little setback in our friendship." Jude chose the description for last night carefully. It was a setback, not a permanent rift. She had put the spare concert ticket into Jamie's mailbox this morning, in case he decided to change his mind and drop by. Giving up hope was the last thing she wanted to do. "Maybe he will show up later."

"To be reminded that you don't like him?" He chuckled. "Sure!"

"There are like twenty thousand seats in this arena! What's it with your desire to always sit next to me?"

Tommy held up his ticket. "My seat. See the number?" He pointed it out for her on the ticket. "That's where I sit. Apparently the universe wants to punish me with you."

Jude pretended to be surprised. "I was just about to say the same!"

"This whole night will be much easier to endure for the both of us if we don't talk. Can you do that? Keep quiet?"

"You began this stupid conversation with me. Not the other way around."

"Fine. I will end this stupid conversation then." He made a zip motion across his lips. Then he turned away from her.

Jude sat down with a growl. Never in her life had she met someone so unnerving!

After the concert they all sat in the V.I.P. area, having drinks and talking to members of the crew, when the band walked in. Kwest and Tommy were treated like old friends and Jude decided then and there that she had to make sure Sadie would marry Kwest, if just to make sure she herself could retain access to famous bands. Not that it would be hard for Sadie, Jude figured. Kwest was good looking, had money, was very funny and really nice in general. So when Sadie pointed out how great Kwest was, Jude firmly agreed. "He's the best!"

Apparently, Sadie wanted to show her boyfriend right then just how appreciative of him she was. The older Harrison leaned into his arms, whispered a few words into his ears and then they both hurried off into one of the many hallways.

Jude stayed behind with Tommy, who utterly ignored her. Not that she would have minded, because The Verve were here, in close proximity. If she reached out, she could actually touch the lead singer. But there was one not so small problem. The members of the band ignored her as they were talking with Tommy. And then, a minute or two later, they walked away.

Jude hit Tommy's shoulder. "Thanks, idiot! Why didn't you introduce me?"

With a level of self-satisfaction she had not believed could be expressed by a single facial expression, he smiled at her, and repeated the zip motion he had made earlier and by that reminded her of their agreement to not talk.

Jude rolled her eyes. "This is something entirely different."

He just shrugged.

Jude hit him again.

"Whoa, calm down," he finally spoke. "I didn't know you were such a groupie!"

"I'm not a groupie! But it was totally mean not to introduce me!"

"You need someone to introduce you every time you meet new people? What is this, a Jane Austen novel?! You are allowed to talk to strangers, Jude."

Her hands balled into fists. "Eighteen years on this earth and never in my entire life have I met a person as aggravating as you!"

"Right back at you! And now excuse me."

She watched him walk over towards the refreshment table. A woman in a short black dress and long, wavy dark hair was refilling her glass with some drink. For a little while Jude observed him as he acquainted himself with the dark-haired beauty. His smile was flawless. It was effortless and just bright enough to express his delight without appearing artificial. His hand, after a few softly spoken words, gently touched her hand and he brought it to his lips, where he kissed the back of it very gently. The woman giggled at his actions, and took apparent joy.

Jude snorted. He was such a show-off. Without her, watching him, she doubted he would have put so much effort into it. Why was she looking on? A small voice in the back of her head wondered. She found him annoying and rude. What was so interesting about him that he caught her attention?

Refusing to find an answer to that question, afraid of what said answer might sound like, she was about to walk away and maybe find the band when he suddenly turned towards her, holding up a small piece of paper. A number was written on it. Tommy winked. Bastard. So the woman had given him her number and of course he had nothing better to do than brag about that.

'You think you get lucky tonight? Just wait,' Jude thought to herself. He had ruined her moment of meeting the band, so why not return the favor! With a dirty little smile and an arrogant swagger she made her way towards him, grabbed the drink the surprised brunette woman held in her hand and poured it over Tommy's startled self.

"What the fuck, Jude?!" He sputtered and blinked.

"You rotten asshole," she yelled loud enough for everyone to hear and added a fake sniffle. "I told you I was pregnant only a minute ago and here you are flirting with another woman? Your wife was right – you never change!" With a haughty flip of her hair, Jude marched away.

Behind her she could hear the brunette woman demanding her phone number back. Jude's lips curved upwards victoriously. "Take that, Tom Quincy," she murmured smugly.


	2. Chapter 2

**Part 2:**

Jude gulped nervously when the door of her classroom opened and in walked a smirking Tommy. His eyes immediately found her and the look he sported told her all she needed to know - he was in for revenge and today she had to pay. After two days of not speaking to him or hearing from him, not even via Sadie or Kwest, she had actually thought he might finally have forgotten her.

She was wrong, she comprehended now. And gulped again.

"I'm really sorry to just interrupt this class," he sweetly apologized to her math teacher, Miss Roberts. The sturdy, forty-something woman giggled. _Damn groupie_ , grumbled Jude. Tommy continued, "but I'm here for Jude Harrison. She won a contest this week." Every student was intently listening. "It was about writing a short story on how you imagine your perfect date with your favorite celebrity. And Jude won with her essay about how she'd love to have a picnic with me at a lake, under - and I quote Jude's essay - 'a ceiling of stars and fireflies, surrounded by the soft sounds of the water while the rest of Boyz Attack sing _Pick Up The Pieces_. She mentioned how she'd like her first kiss to take place that way. Now, the rest of Boyz Attack was busy. But the organizers of the contest asked me to fulfill her deepest desire. So here I am." From behind his back he pulled a picnic basket. "But don't get too excited," he winked at Jude directly. "No kissing."

While the entirety of her math class erupted in laughter, Jude gathered her belongings and walked out of the class without saying anything. She didn't wait for permission from her teacher, and didn't care if troubles would follow her exit. Tommy trailed behind her, chuckling. Once they were out and the door was closed, Jude spun around and shoved him into the nearest row of lockers. He actually stumbled backwards. "Tom Quincy, you will regret having met me for the rest of your pathetic life. This I swear." With decisive steps she walked out of the school and straight towards the parking lot.

He followed, still laughing. "Did you really think I would let you get away with it? You poured a drink over me, twice! And even worse, somebody overheard your little pregnancy lie and two tabloids picked it up! I was just getting even."

"Even?" Her hair flew wildly as she turned around. "You just made me the laughing stock of my entire school! People will bully me for the rest of the year. My friends will write about it in my yearbook! You might as well engrave it onto my tombstone, because nobody will ever forget that! _A ceiling of stars and fireflies_ \- did you come up with that?"

"No, actually, a fan wrote that. It was the first fan letter I ever received." He pulled out his key and unlocked his car.

Jude had never seen him driving so she wondered which one was his. He walked straight towards a black Ferrari. Her mouth watered. "That is your car?"

"Yep."

She hurried after him. "I need a ride. I can't go back inside now, thanks to you, and the bus won't come for another hour."

"I'm not a cab driver."

She got into the car uninvited. "Should have thought of that before you asked me out for a picnic. What's in the basket? Food?"

"Nothing. It's a prop. I'm late for work." He looked at her with a frown. "You do know we're not actually going on a date, right?"

She laughed. "Quincy, I wouldn't go on a date with you for a million dollars."

He closed the door and started the car, pulling out of the parking lot while she turned on the radio. "You shouldn't have taken offense the other night. I saved you from a lot of trouble."

"By ruining my night with the brunette?"

"You wouldn't have enjoyed it. She was too stuck up to be any good in bed."

"And you know that how," he wondered, suddenly interested.

"Her underwear." Jude turned down the volume. The Ferrari had very impressive speakers. "She might have been wearing a short dress, but underneath it, she was wearing shorts. The outlines were visible. I'm surprised you didn't notice."

"Who said I didn't?" he asked. "And besides, what's the matter with shorts? There are very sexy versions available."

"You're a connoisseur of the Victoria's Secret catalog, huh?"

He rolled his eyes.

She smiled. "Shorts are a virtuous woman's choice of underwear. A sex-kitten wears a thong. Or nothing, according to Cosmopolitan."

"What are you wearing?"

A sly grin tugged on her lips. To her utter amazement, this whole encounter had turned into some form of flirting. And despite everything that had happened, she was actually enjoying it. When she found his eyes lingering on her as they were stopping at a red light, she flashed him a bright smile. "I'm wearing granny pants."

Now it was his turn to laugh. "Liar."

Jude didn't reply, but the corners of her mouth were turned up for the entire ride towards G-Major, where their little trip ended. He headed straight into studio A, towards some musicians who were already waiting. "Don't think this is over," she called after him. "Revenge is mine."

"Looking forward to it." He vanished into the studio with a grin on his face.

Jude couldn't hide her good mood. Not that she even tried. He was a weird guy, she found. Unnerving, annoying, cocky, arrogant, but also very funny and strangely entertaining. He didn't take her, or himself, too serious. He didn't get mad, or kept his distance from her. Instead, he got even. She hated that, but at the same time, she also enjoyed it. Taking a seat in the lobby she texted her sister to pick her up, all the while glancing towards studio A where Tommy was recording. He sat at the soundboard, headphones on, completely engrossed in his work.

Her phone chirped when Sadie replied. "In studio B. Wait for me in the lobby."

Great, Jude thought. Her sister was probably busy grinding against Kwest. She decided it was indeed the safest idea to wait for her, unless she wanted to witness live porn.

* * *

"Cute hat," said Jude, later that night, and snapped a picture of Tommy wearing a large cowboy hat with her phone. "Mandatory?"

Tommy nodded as he took in the colorful buffet. Then he looked up to meet her gaze. "They really do invite everyone to these parties. Who are you again - the sister of a producer's girlfriend? If I had known, I would have brought my dentist or the mailman."

"I'm not just everyone," she explained to him. "I'm a person of interest to this studio!"

"You wish." He chuckled, then nodded towards the end of the buffet. "I'm about to walk over there and introduce myself to that very attractive blonde." When she responded with a confused look, Tommy took the glass of coke she held in her hand from her. "Just to make sure you don't have any ammunition. And don't mess this up for me. Remember what happened after the last time?"

Jude glared at him.

Tommy smiled. "Smart girl."

He swaggered off and she was about to follow, to remind him he wasn't the only one who could play dirty, when Kwest walked up to her. "Darius wants to meet you. I told him all about you. He's a little unhappy you didn't come in western attire, as the invitation said, but just be yourself and I'm sure you'll win him over."

Tommy was immediately forgotten. "For real? Darius Mills, Big D, actually wants to meet me? Now?"

With a nod Kwest tugged her with him. "Darius, meet Jude Harrison, singer extraordinaire."

The tall, bald guy mustered her. "Kwest doesn't often gush. You must be good."

"I…uh…" Jude inwardly cursed herself. This was her opportunity and she was messing it up! "Good…yes."

Darius smiled. "You're nervous around me. I like that. Shows of respect. How about you drop by next week and sing for me. We'll go from there."

"Awesome," she answered. And felt like a complete idiot.

"Awesome indeed," Darius agreed, highly amused. Then another woman walked up to them. "Jude," said Darius as he guided her attention to the tall brunette, "I'd like you to meet my sister. She's here for the weekend. She lives in New York. Portia Mills."

"Nice to meet you." Portia shook Jude's hand.

Darius and Kwest began talking about some messed up recording, which left Jude to converse with Portia. While Jude struggled for a good topic – social gatherings and superficial conversations had never been easy for her – Darius' sister seemed to have no problem finding one.

"I saw you talking to Tom Quincy. I hope he hasn't asked you out, or rather you haven't said 'yes' to him."

That guy was haunting her, Jude found. A minute ago, this meeting had been about her future as a singer. Now it was about Tommy's dating life. "He and I...we barely know each other." While it wasn't a lie, it wasn't necessarily true either, but she tried to play it cool. "He hasn't asked me out," she added, albeit knowing it was none of that woman's business.

"Lucky you. I was married to him. Worst mistake of my life." Portia placed one arm around Jude, to the latter's irritation, and directed their attention to Tom Quincy and his flirting with the blonde. "Just look at him. He's such a sex-addict. He needs to bang everything female! I found him in bed with another woman even before we married."

"And yet you-" Jude bit her tongue. It probably wasn't the brightest idea to insult her maybe-future employer's sister. Otherwise she would have remarked on how stupid it had been to marry a man who had already proven himself incapable of fidelity.

But Portia wanted to hear what Jude had to say. "You what?"

"Nothing, just…Look, I don't know you. Until a second ago, I didn't even know Tommy was married."

"Does that surprise you?"

"No, but..." She sighed heavily and hoped her next remark wouldn't cost her the one chance with Darius. "He cheated and you married him anyway?"

Portia smiled condescendingly. "You wouldn't understand. Tommy can be a determined romantic when he wants to be. He promised me dates under a ceiling of stars and fireflies. I got-" She stopped when Jude laughed loudly. "What's so funny?"

"Absolutely nothing," Jude quickly stated and bit her tongue from laughing again.

"You must think it sounds cheesy, but I found it incredibly poetic."

"So did he!" She could barely contain herself.

Portia grew annoyed. "I seriously don't get the joke! I'm telling you something personal and you find that amusing. Tommy might have his flaws but he always tried to do his best!"

"I'm sure."

"Whatever," Portia snapped before walking away indignantly.

Jude, still giggling, went over to Tommy, who was in the middle of collecting a phone number. She hit his shoulder. "You used the fireflies-line on Portia as well? She thinks of you as some type of closeted poet because of it!"

He tossed her a fierce glare. "I'm in the middle of something. Get lost!"

"But your wife-"

"You're married?" The blonde huffed. "Ass!" Then she headed away.

Jude sheepishly smiled. "I meant to say ex-wife. Sorry!" She wondered if she had done it on purpose. She honestly couldn't tell. "I can find you some other chick to hook up with. How about a professional? They don't care if your single or not!"

"I am single."

"I know. I was just trying to help!"

"You suck at that!"

"Look," she sneered, "I'm the reason you won't get laid tonight and I get that you're mad at me. But that's no reason to insult me!"

"Insult you?!" Tommy scoffed. Then nodded. "You're right, it's not." He took a drink from the table. "There are other things I can do." With that, he spilled a big glass of orange juice over her head.

Holding her head high, she took a deep breath. "If you think you can embarrass me with that-"

"With a glass of juice? No," he agreed and reached for a bowl. It was cinnamon, for the rice that was offered, and poured that over her head as well. "I wonder if you will find a cab to take you home tonight." He wandered off, grinning the whole time.

Jude spit out a powder cloud of cinnamon.

Sadie came rushing towards her. "Oh my God, what happened? Why did he do that?"

"Something about fireflies and prostitutes. Long story." She gracefully reached for a napkin. "Could you take me home?"

"In my car?" She hesitated. "I just got it cleaned!"

"Sadie!"

"Fine! But…try not to touch anything."

* * *

"I need a favor. A big one." Jude sat down next to Kwest in studio B. "And I know you will help me because Christmas is soon and I'm your way to get the best present ever for Sadie."

"I already have a present."

"But not the best one possible."

"How would you know?"

Jude smiled. "Because there is one thing she always wanted to have and trust me, I know you haven't bought it for her yet. So, about this favor—"

"What do you want?"

"The keys for Tommy's Ferrari."

He laughed. "Forget it."

"Have you not seen what he did to me?"

"I saw you doing the same thing, twice."

She looked away. "That was totally different."

"I don't know what you two have going on and I really don't care, but his car? Are you sure you want to go there?"

Oh, she was sure. Jude was absolutely sure. She was dead-serious about it. "They keys, Kwest. I need them!"

"Tell me about Sadie's wish."

"A white pony!" She fist-bumped his shoulder. "Told ya, didn't I? The perfect present. A little big, I know. But so romantic!"

Jude's statement left Kwest anything but happy. "A real one? I really like her, but we're only dating a few weeks and getting a pony is like getting ten dogs. At once!"

"It's her wish." She hadn't exactly expected him to just go and get Sadie a pony. She knew very well how committing a shared animal was. But a little more enthusiasm wouldn't hurt him, would it? She had just presented him with an opportunity to forever be in Sadie's good graces. "I don't have anything else to offer. And I thought you love her!"

"I do. But you don't see me buying her a car for Christmas, either. A pony is a huge present! Besides, why don't you just let it go? Sadie told me that you don't like Tommy. So stay away from him. Don't get involved in any games."

Jude was muted. She wasn't getting involved in any games. And she certainly didn't chose to hang out with him. For some crazy reason they always ran into each other. It was completely accidental! Sure, one of them or the both of them could walk the other way but where would be the fun in that? "I will stay away from him when we're even. But after he spiced me with cinnamon, I need to teach him a lesson!"

"Jude…"

"He said you're a bad driver, which is why he never lets you borrow his car!" It was a lie. And part of her felt bad for it. But she needed those damned keys.

Kwest straightened up. "Bad driver, huh?"

She nodded. "Really bad."

"Give me an hour."

* * *

"A pony?" Tommy could hardly believe it. "It's a pretty big present for a girl you barely know. I don't get how Jude can think you'd actually get Sadie one." They were walking down the parking lot after a long day's work.

"Right?" Kwest shrugged. "I'm not getting her a pony. Maybe one day. Not for the first Christmas!"

"It would make it unforgettable, though," acknowledged Tommy.

Kwest sighed. "It's still a big thing. You can't just put it in a box! It comes with a meadow. And it needs food. And someone to take care of it. It's a commitment!"

"Huge deal." Tommy stopped dead in his tracks. "What the fuck?!"

Kwest looked at where Tommy was staring at. And burst out in laughter. "You've got to give it to her: she knows how to get even!"

"I will fucking kill her!"

In front of them, in Tommy's parking spot, stood a beautiful black Ferrari, cleaned and waxed, with a new side tattoo in oversized, vast letters that read, "Tommy Q loves N'Sync". And a little further behind a small tattoo in hot pink color said, "Justin T. rocks!"

"How did she manage that? This is a professional tattoo job! It had to be done at a shop. I didn't see her all day and my keys were always with me. The only time I—" The words died on his lips as he turned his head towards Kwest.

"A decade of friendship," Kwest reminded him. "Don't do anything stupid!"

"Why?" It was the only thing Tommy wanted to know, his tone sad and his face stunned. "Why would you do that to me?"

"She just asked for the keys. I had nothing to do with the rest."

"Why would you help her, man? She's a danger for society!"

"Don't get too dramatic. She told me you called me a bad driver. It's what you get in return."

"I never called you that, Kwest!" Tommy was devastated. His gorgeous car had been raped by a lunatic teenager. And his best friend had aided and abetted her! "I'm losing faith in this world."

Kwest chuckled. "Seriously, take it easy. One hour in the shop and it's all gone. You can bill her for it."

"Oh, I will!"

"But please," and Kwest really begged for it, "don't do anything to retaliate! Just let it go! You two are even now. Turn the other way when you see her and don't bait her!"

"Let it go?" Tommy shook his head. "That, Kwest, is impossible. Look at what she has done!" He pointed towards the car. "She took what matters the most to me and violated it!" He grabbed into his jacket and found that his keys had at least been returned to him. He took them out, unlocked the car and got it. "Tell Darius I'll come in late tomorrow."

* * *

"Jude, wake up! Hurry!" Sadie's face hovered above Jude as she opened her sleepy eyes, blinking against the bright light. "Wake up! You're in huge trouble!"

"Sadie," whined Jude and rubbed her eyes. "This is the first day of Christmas break. I wanted to sleep today. Sleep and nothing else. It was Monday, December 23rd and she had stayed up last night way too long to get out of bed anytime before noon. "How late is it?"

"Eight."

Jude groaned as she pulled the blanket over her head. "Go away!"

"Tommy is downstairs, talking to Mom and Dad. Did you guys have sex?"

Now Jude was awake. She sat up straight, then scrambled out of bed in a hurry. "Tommy is here?"

"Yes! I just walked downstairs and saw him with our parents. They are talking about pregnancy tests and late nights at concerts! What have you been up to?"

Suddenly she regretted having his car pimped out. "Oh God!" When he paid back, he paid back really hard, it seemed. Wrapping herself into a robe and not caring for the rest, she ran down the stairs, taking two flights at once, and stormed into the kitchen.

"Jude!" Stuart admonished. "You're eighteen, behave like that!"

"Sorry," she mumbled, then looked at Tommy, whose face beamed with innocence. He looked like an angel and she could already see her mom eating that act up. Only Jude knew the difference. Tom Quincy was the devil incarnate. "What are you doing here, Tom?"

"I couldn't hold back anymore. I just had to deliver the happy news myself."

She could almost see the devil's flaming tail behind him.

"Like I just told your parents, you came to me last night and said you wanted to get pregnant from me. I know I was a little overwhelmed, but after your parents assured me you're a grown-up, responsible young lady, I changed my mind. I agree. Let's make that baby right now!"

Jude felt wobbly on her legs and shakily grabbed a hold of the nearest chair. "Mom, Dad? He's lying!"

"Oh honey," Victoria beamed, "I always wanted to be a grandmother!"

Now her legs gave away and she plopped down on the chair with no grace at all. "What?" She panicked. Where were her parents? What had he done to them? She was eighteen and still in high school! "But…"

"Jude, your mom is right! A baby would be wonderful!" said Stuart.

"Now you agree with her?" Her mind couldn't comprehend it. She must still be dreaming! Pinching her own arm, she yelped in pain. Damn it, that was reality. Or maybe she was kidnapped by aliens and this was an alternative reality. It certainly felt that way! "I…I'm not feeling so good! I need to lie down, I think."

"We best go to a doctor soon! As soon as you and dear Tommy make the baby!" Victoria stood up, walked over to her and gave her a firm squeeze. "I bet he's as good as all those magazines say," she whispered with a wink.

Jude shuddered. "Uh…help? Where is Sadie?" She frantically looked around. Her sister was nowhere to be found.

"You know what, sweetheart?" Stuart said as he gently grabbed her arm. "I'll walk you upstairs. You'll get dressed. And then we talk about baby names!"

"And coffee," she whispered because her voice wasn't strong enough to speak louder. What was going on with everybody!? She let her father guide her upstairs.

Downstairs, in the kitchen, Victoria began laughing. "Poor Jude, she'll be shaken by this all day!"

Tommy reached into his pocket and pulled out two front row tickets for the upcoming show of La Boheme. "Thanks so much for playing along, Misses Harrison. And tell Mister Harrison that as soon as the Beatles reunite, I will get tickets for him. But you saw what she did with my car and—"

Victoria shook her head. "No problem. I'm just happy you aren't reporting her to the police. I have no idea what she was thinking!"

"One last favor," he said with a chuckle. "Don't tell her for another hour or two. She looked really freaked out!"

* * *

"I almost had a heart attack this morning," Jude shot as soon as she pushed the door to studio A open. "Bringing my parents into this? You've gone nuts, Quincy!"

"Sore loser," he quipped.

"Sore loser?" She was fuming. Thank God nobody else was around to witness this. "I'll show you how sore a loser I really am!" With quick hands she snatched his jacket from the chair he was sitting on. She knew his keys were in there. "How about I make that car tattoo permanent?"

"Jude, hand me back my jacket!" He stood up and carefully approached her as she wielded his jacket as though it was a loaded gun. "Things are escalating. We should both take a step back!"

"I," and she pointed at herself while speaking, "had to listen for two hours as my Dad suggested baby names. Mom let me believe she was redecorating the guest room into a nursery. Sadie has been laughing at me all day and don't even get me started on the lecture I got from my parents for what I did to your car. You crossed a line! I'm just defending myself!"

"Give me my jacket back," he demanded angrily.

Jude sneered. "Has your car ever been keyed before? With its own key?"

He grabbed the jacket and pulled on it. Right now it didn't matter so much that they keys were in there or that this article of clothing was worth a lot more than her entire outfit combined. He wanted his damned jacket back because she had it.

Jude held her ground. And his jacket. "Never play with me again like that!"

"Then stay the hell away from me."

"You stay the hell away from me!"

He pulled on his jacket again, stronger this time. Jude stumbled forward, into his arms. Suddenly her face was only inches away from his. His hands were on her waist. The jacket lay on the ground, forgotten. Seconds, minutes, maybe hours passed, and then suddenly all went so fast. He pulled her flat against him, then pushed her back up against the wall as his mouth crashed down on her. In her entire life she had never been kissed like this. All her previous experiences were based on the idea of being in love. They were gentle moments. This was pure heat and lust. His tongue thrust deeply into her mouth, finding a perfect sparring partner in hers. Lips pressed together hard, moving fervently against another. Tommy's hands traveled up her body, first above her shirt, then again, only below. His palms were as hot as her skin felt. She clung to him as if he were the very air she needed to survive. She moaned shamelessly as his mouth ventured down her throat, and when he suckled on that highly sensitive skin below her earlobe she shuddered in his arms. Her hands fisted in the hem of his shirt. She wanted it gone. She wanted to touch his body. Lick it, nibble it. She wanted to be taken right here, in the studio, against this door.

"Jude, are you in there?"

But her wish would not be granted, it turned out. Both stopped when they heard the voice, then a knocking sound. "I saw you entering. I'm heading home, you need a ride?"

"That's Sadie," Jude whispered out of air.

Tommy carefully set her down. His eyes were dark. He was breathing hard.

Neither really knew what to say. The kiss had overwhelmed him as much as it had knocked her own socks off, and Jude just stared into Tommy's stormy eyes. She wanted to kiss him again. She wanted him to kiss her again! Just as passionately. Without clothes, preferably.

"You should go," he said eventually.

"I should." When she pushed herself away from the wall, inevitably getting closer to him, time seemed to stop again. For a few heavy seconds she wondered if he would grab her once more, to ravish her right here in the studio.

But then Sadie knocked anew. "Jude, are you okay?"

"Yes," she finally answered. "Comin'."

She left the room without another word, entirely too shaken by what had happened. She had kissed Tom Quincy. And she had enjoyed it!

"Are you fine? You look shaken. Mom and Dad really pulled a number on you this morning!"

"Yeah," Jude agreed, albeit absentmindedly. She touched her lips with the tip of her finger, trying to rid herself of the tingling. "I think I need to lie down again…"


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you for all the feedback. I appreciate everything you say, because sometimes you're so stuck in your own story you don't see what others see. Feedback is always more than welcome.**

 **Part 3:**

"No casualties this morning, no ruined cars, no poured drinks and not even a pretended pregnancy." Kwest took a sip from his coffee as he sat in the Harrison kitchen. "Have they actually called a truce?"

"I don't know," Sadie doubted. "Last night Jude didn't look like someone who just ended a war. Something happened between them. They spent a few minutes in Tommy's studio before she came out. She hardly said a word on the entire way home. And usually, after Jude spends time with Tommy, she rambles on and on about what a moron he is."

"I haven't seen Tommy last night. I think he went home early. He's throwing a party tonight. You're invited, by the way. Maybe he'll tell what happened, then."

"Where is he now? G-Major is closed today, isn't it?"

"Yep. Guess he's at home. Why?"

"Because Jude left really early this morning. You don't think she went to see him, do you?"

"No," Kwest immediately said, only to frown. "No...they don't like each other. Why would they meet?"

"That's why I'm asking. Why would they meet, right?"

"Maybe she went for some last-minute Christmas shopping."

"Probably."

* * *

"It's half past ten on a day off," Tommy grumbled into the phone. "Why are you calling me this early? How did you get my number? And if this is about yesterday...I don't know why I kissed you. Reflex, probably."

On the other side of the line, Jude rolled her eyes. Reflex? What a crappy excuse was that? "I didn't call about the kiss, Quincy. It was a lapse of judgement." One very pleasurable lapse of judgement, but still nothing she planned on repeating anytime soon. "And I got your number from Sadie's phone. I actually need your help for once. Kwest has been very nice and generous lately. I'd like to get him a present for Christmas, but I don't know what he likes or what hobbies he has. What did you get him?"

"Oh shit!"

"Oh shit…what?" He cursed under his breath and Jude struggled to make out the words. "Quincy, could you just tell me your best friend's favorite hobby?"

"A five foot six leggy blonde. That's his hobby."

"I can't buy him a life-size cardboard stand-up of Sadie, so be a little more creative than that! Seriously, what did you get him?" When she heard a strange noise, she held the phone away from her ear, then put it back. Then she heard a toilet being flushed. "Ew! Did you just do what I think you did? That's disgusting!"

"Come on, it's not like you were in the room," he retorted. "I don't have anything for Kwest yet. I was so busy moving and planning my party that I forgot! Are you in the mall right now?"

"Yes," said Jude, warily. "Why?"

"Wait there for me. It's probably a good idea to get something for Sadie as well. I need your help for that!"

She let out a wailing sound. There went her peaceful morning. But it was nice of him to think of her sister. "I'll be waiting in front of the Victoria's Secret store. I assume that's the one you'll locate the easiest."

"How considerate of you," he said before hanging up.

Half an hour later, with a baseball cap tugged down to hide his face, he walked up to her just as she finished a donut. "Took you long enough to get here." Jude got up from a bench and pointed towards a music store. "Should I get Kwest a CD?"

"I don't think there an album left he doesn't own already."

"How very helpful. What will you get him?"

"No idea, honestly. I hate Christmas. You give people stuff they don't want, or need, only to receive the same crap in return."

"In that case you will be happy to learn that you won't get anything from me this year."

"I am." He pointed towards a jewelry store. "Does Sadie like that stuff?"

"That stuff that's made out of diamonds and gold?" Jude smirked. "Which woman doesn't?"

"Good. Let's start there."

"Don't get anything too fancy," she warned. "You can't get her something that's worth more than what I have for her."

"I don't plan on buying her a diamond necklace! She's not _my_ girlfriend."

"Speaking about that. What does Kwest have for her?"

"No pony!"

She laughed. "It is a big present for a new relationship." That she agreed with. "But if Sadie got that pony from him, she'd be forever grateful!"

He suspiciously looked at her. "Why is that so important to you?"

"No idea what you're talking about." Pointing at a necklace in the store's window, she tried changing the topic. First and foremost she wanted her sister to have a great first Christmas with her boyfriend. But she particularly wanted her sister and her boyfriend to stay together for as long as possible. He was her ticket into G-Major after all! Tommy didn't need to know that. "Look, how pretty!"

Tommy did look and he did not find anything that resembled pretty. The only things he found were expensive, large and entirely too much for a friend's girlfriend.

"I wish somebody would give me one of those one day," said Jude and glanced wistfully at a necklace.

This time Tommy looked with a little more interest at the display she ogled. "That's a seven-thousand dollar choker. What would wear it to – ripped jeans?" He had a hard time imagining jeans-wearing, perpetually-mismatched-looking, never-seen-a-blowdryer, sneaker-loving Jude wearing that necklace.

"I do have a nice dress in my closet. Somewhere," she murmured.

"A necklace this expensive is a waste of money. People only wear it to show off! And most people don't even recognize its worth."

She crossed her arms as her gazed traveled towards his wrist. "So how much is that watch?"

He tugged his sleeve down. "That's different."

"Hypocrite."

"Can we just go inside and find something for Sadie?"

"Sure."

Twenty minutes and some frustration later, they had picked a charm for a bracelet Sadie had received for her last birthday. Jude had scored an entire bracelet, twice as expensive, in exchange for giving Tommy the deciding hint. She happily played with it as they made their way out of the store. "This was really nice of you."

"It wasn't nice, it was extortion," he pointed out.

She shrugged. "Potato, potato."

He tried really, really hard not to like Jude, or even dignify her with humor. But he couldn't help himself. There was something about this girl that was entirely annoying and yet strangely alluring. She had knew no boundaries. She never held back. She always spoke her mind. And she certainly didn't take bullshit.

"You don't have any female friends like me, do you?"

"Someone who regularly insults me, someone who extorts and steals and someone who just outright refuses to shut up?" Tommy shook his head. "No. You are a unique addition to my otherwise peaceful life."

"Coming from you I consider that a compliment." She stopped walking and spun around, big eyes staring up at him. "I think you like me. I think you like that I am not some groupie fawning over you. I'm like the little sister you don't have."

He took a step towards her. "I would never think of you as my sister." Seconds passed. Maybe days. He lost track of time, too enrapt by the color of her eyes. Was it dark blue? A radiant, royal shade? Or was it a quiet ocean, in the middle of a clear winter night? Tommy couldn't say. But it was a rich color. One of promises and dangers. One of mystery and reverie. And one of chaos and destruction, because he was sure that was the direction they were headed if he didn't look away soon.

The memory of yesterday's kiss was still fresh on his lips. His gaze followed her hand as it busied itself with her hair, then he lifted his own, and gently brushed another few hairs from her face. Jude took a shaky breath and he could feel the air change. It was reassuring to know she was as affected by him as he was by her. Was it her heartbeat that he could hear? Or was it his own?

But it was Jude, who put an end to it. She spun around and marched ahead. And for better or for worse, the sexual tension dissolved as quickly as it had built up. "You're right. If I were your sister," Jude pointed out, "I'd be invited to your swanky little party tonight."

The party. His party. He concentrated on that and regained his wits. "I wasn't aware you wanted to come. But sure, tag along. Just remember, it's a party and not a concert. No ripped jeans or sneakers!"

"You won't even recognize me," she promised with a grin.

* * *

The party, Jude decided, was altogether overrated. Weird people in fancy clothes were talking about about weird people wearing fancy clothes. Kwest was busy flirting with Sadie and Tommy, being the host, naturally was occupied with other stuff. So, instead of standing in a corner of his surprisingly cool apartment, she used the time to explore Tommy's natural habitat — his bedroom. And it turned out to be a very informative room. His favorite color, it appeared, was grey. His bedsheets, his drapes, even his walls came straight out of a black and white movie. His music collection was impressive. And versatile. She had not expected that. Everything from operas to classic to punk and pop was neatly organized in tall, black shelves. Vinyls, Tapes, CDs — everything a music fan could hope for.

One side of the room consisted of floor-length windows. The opposite wall had two doors. One lead to a second bathroom, the other lead into his closet. A crazy big closet! Who had that many suits, she wondered, as she attempted to count them. After twenty-five she stopped. "When does he wear them?" Jude murmured as she shook her head.

"I get invited to a lot of parties."

Jude jumped in surprise. Then spun around, guilty and apologetic. "I'm not snooping around!"

"Of course not."

She tried reading his face, tried figuring out if he was mad, amused, or just bewildered to find her here, but it didn't work. His eyes were a riddle. Deep and full of life's stories, but incredibly guarded. This morning had been different. When they had stumbled into that odd moment of silence, after his remark about not ever looking at her as a sister, his eyes had been a fountain of emotion, full of yearning and interest. Now they were dusted with irritation. "I got bored," she admitted as she walked out of his closet. "And when I'm bored, I start wandering around."

"Wander all you want, I don't care." He took a seat on his bed, then fell backwards. And just like that, he seemed to become a different person. A deep sigh slipped past his lips. "I hate these parties."

"Really?" Jude was surprised, by his admission and by his demeanor. She laid down next to him, head propped up on one arm. "Why are throwing the party if you don't have fun?"

"Because it's good to have many acquaintances in this biz. And acquaintances require party invitations. There are maybe a handful of people here I'd call my friends. The guests out there are label execs, PR guys, A&R, and, naturally, people with money who like to feel important." He turned his head to look at her. "Discovered anything interesting in my bedroom?"

"You're a grey-fetishist. But other than that, no." Jude rolled onto her back and closed her eyes. It felt shockingly easy to be around him. "I'm disappointed. Your life sounds so interesting from what I've read in the tabloids. But there aren't even any notches in your bedpost. No crazy sex toys, no black book in your nightstand." She flinched. "Not that I checked!"

He laughed. "Check all you want, you won't find anything. And the bed is new."

She felt movement next to her and opened her eyes, finding him laying on his side, watching her. "I did not recognize you," he admitted.

Jude slid her hand down her side, accentuating how well her dress fit. It was new, just like her shoes. She certainly felt good wearing it, but it was a tough job, because the heels made walking nearly impossible and the thin straps kept slipping off her shoulder, which meant she couldn't lean forward without involuntarily flashing anyone. "Told 'ya."

To her utter amazement, his hand reached out and his index finger drew an invisible line across her hip bone. The touch, barely palpable, made her want to crawl towards him. And when she met his gaze, she could hardly hold herself back. There it was again. That darkness. That desire. The one that had stolen her voice earlier in the day.

"I can't feel anything," his whispered, his voice a hoarse call that reverberated deep inside her. "No granny pants, no shorts. Nothing." A slight smirk danced across his features. "Remind me, what did Cosmopolitan say about that again?"

"You just don't feel it," she whispered back.

His finger moved back up a few inches, dipped into the curve above her hip, then he rolled forward slowly, pressed her backwards with his right hand and hovered above her body. This time his right hand sprawled over her hipbone, pressing slightly down as it retraced the route his fingertip had taken. Jude watched mesmerized. "Nothing," he let her know, with the barest hint of triumph, as though he had just discovered a long lost secret. "Want me to investigate further, to deliver hard evidence?" His hand coasted down her thigh, towards the hem of her dress.

Jude licked her lips hungrily. Every inch of her body hummed with desire. It had been so long that she had been with someone. She wanted him so badly. She wanted Tom Quincy, that arrogant man who had taken such delight in making her pay for her little temper outbursts. She could only hope he would go through the same lengths when it came this. "Investigate ahead," she all but begged.

His lips were on hers within a heartbeat. Her mouth responded instinctively. His fingers threaded through her hair, and she moaned into the kiss. It was such an intense kiss, almost as though he needed her with the same desperation as she needed him. His tongue slid against hers. Jude felt herself melting against him. They were no longer two bodies but one tangled mess of hands, legs, and increasingly irrelevant articles of clothing. Rolling on top him, she felt his hands underneath her dress, stroking up her thighs, steadily raising the hem of her dress. He groaned when she pushed herself against his erection.

They stopped briefly, barely, when the sound of shattered glass intruded into their frenzy. "There are people just outside this door," she reminded him, still rubbing herself against him. But instead of stopping him or actively distancing herself from him, Jude took a hold of his face and kissed him thoroughly, completely overcome by lust. "Should we stop?"

She rose to her knees when she felt his fingertips dancing around the edges of her panties, offering him the room he needed. "Don't you dare stop," he rasped, and as he tugged them down, inch by inch, she could feel the wetness increasing between her legs.

He let go of her panties, letting them pool around her knees. "No wonder I couldn't feel them," he grinned between kisses. He looked at them briefly. "Thong, huh? Let's see if Cosmopolitan is right about you." One hand went to her head, to pull her closer, as the other one ventured towards her private parts. He parted her soft curls, and slid one finger between her silken folds, teasing her.

She pushed herself against his hand, desperately yearning for more. "Let's see if all those rumors are true about you," she smirked. Somehow, Jude had managed to undo his pants without completely disrupting his ministrations. When she wrapped her hand around him, she felt his manhood pulsating against her palm. He was large and thick and she really hoped all those rumors about his prowess weren't exaggerations because she wanted nothing more than to be taken by this man, to be taken, again and again, until they would collapse breathlessly and exhausted.

His index finger curled deeply within her, bringing her to her first release that night, and she shuddered in his arms. Tommy rolled them over before she had a chance to catch her breath, eagerly helping her out of her dress. "I fucking need you," he hushed into her ear. She tossed her dress off the bed. He got rid of his own clothes.

"Hold on," he said and got off the bed, naked, muscled and sinewy, deliciously aroused. He quickly locked the door and returned with a cocky grin.

Jude bit her lip ravenously as she spread her legs for him. He tugged on her ankles, bringing her closer to him. Then he lowered himself and met her lips in a fierce kiss that had them both gasping for air. One reach towards his pants and he had a condom in his hand.

"Always prepared?" she wondered, but honestly, she didn't care one bit. She wanted the next part too much.

Swiftly sheathed, he placed himself at her entrance and then he pushed in, agonizingly slow. Jude arched her back, holding on to his arms, and when he pulled out, only to push in again, slightly faster this time, she called out his name. Her nails dug into his forearms. His hands grabbed her thighs as he quickened his pace.

"Yes…don't stop," Jude pleaded and grabbed his head, pulling him down for a kiss.

He let go of her and completely withdrew himself, only to spin her around and enter her again. One arm wrapped around her front, the hand cupped her right breast, manipulating her nipple expertly.

Jude met his thrusts better each time. "More…yes…" Her voice was strained. Her head had rolled back, and Tommy was kissing her neck, licking, biting. She could barely control herself, wanted to be loud and uninhibited, but in the back of her mind she still remembered that only a few feet away, dozens of people would hear her.

Tommy increased his pace again. Jude took Tommy's hand and placed it in front of her mouth, then she screamed into it, shivering in his hold. Within a few seconds Tommy came as well, hard. His growls were muffled by her hair and her neck. They settled onto the bed. Still inside her, he surprised not just her but also himself when he pulled her back flush against him, just to hold her. Jude blindly reached behind him and tugged a sheet around them.

"That was…" He couldn't find the right word. After gently brushing a few damp strands of hair from her shoulder, he kissed the skin. Nipped on it with his teeth.

Jude relaxed against him, full of bliss. "That was…wow." She could feel him chuckling against her back. "Guess I became your first notch." She felt him slip out of her and turned around. Eyes met. "You make me do crazy things, Tom Quincy."

A smile played on his lips as he listened to her words. It wasn't a compliment, but an honest admission. And the feeling was mutual. He leaned in to kiss her again. Deep and eager, but far less urgent. When she pulled away, he touched her cheek, tracing the the dips and dimples, the lines and curves. "Let's do crazy again." With that he rolled on top of her.

* * *

"He had sex at his own party," Kwest stated in a mixture of awe and irritation when he saw his friend slipping out of the bedroom, wearing a different shirt and having slightly damp hair.

Sadie followed Kwest's gaze and inspected Tommy. "Why would you think he had sex?"

He gave her a pointed look. "Please. I wonder who the woman is."

"Where is Jude?" Sadie immediately asked. "I haven't seen her since we arrived."

Kwest shook his head. "Jude wouldn't…would she?"

"I hope not!" Sadie and Kwest scanned the apartment, searching for Jude but she was nowhere to be found. "If she walks out of that bedroom, everyone here will know what happened." She got up. "I have to find her." And her first destination was the bedroom.

With determined, yet controlled steps, forcing herself not to run or draw attention, Sadie made her way across the room and swiftly slipped into the bedroom. It was dark and she needed a few moments to find the light switch. "Jude?" Her voice was hushed. "Jude, are you in here?" When she finally found the switch, the room lit up. But the room was empty. The bed was made. No strewn clothes. Nothing suggested that something clandestine had occurred in here. At least not recently. This was Tom Quincy's bedroom after all!

With a sigh of relief she slipped out of the room, only to stumble into someone. "Portia?"

The dark-skinned woman with long, curly hair stared back at Sadie. "I'm sorry, do we know each other?"

"No. You don't know me. I know you. From pictures. You're Tommy's ex-wife." As soon as Sadie had said those words, regret set in. "I'm sorry. It's really none of my business who you are, or why you're here," she murmured confused. "I'm Sadie. Kwest's girlfriend."

"Ah. Well," replied Portia tartly, "if you're with Kwest, you shouldn't slip out of Tom's bedroom. But who am I to be surprised by Tom Quincy's nonexistent morals. He is in Toronto only because he's an asshole, after all. Nice meeting you, Sadie."

"Bitch," Sadie fumed but held herself back from going after her. At least she knew now that Jude hadn't been in there with Tommy. Kwest likely had it wrong anyway. There was just no evidence to support his theory. While she made her way back to Kwest, she found herself the object of some guest's interest. When she reached him, she slipped into his embrace. "What's going on?"

Kwest grimaced. "Nobody saw you entering his bedroom. But some saw you leaving it. And then running into Portia…"

"Wait, they think I did? With Tommy?"

"Yep."

"Great!"

"What's great?" Tommy came up behind her. "Everything okay?"

"Nothing is okay. Where is my sister, and what did you do in that bedroom? Oh, and why is your ex-wife here?"

"Portia is here?" Tommy rolled his eyes. "Darius must have told her about the party. She enjoys tormenting me." He shrugged. "Just ignore her. Oh and Jude left earlier. Shortly after she arrived. I don't think she was feeling very well."

"And the bedroom?"

"What about it?"

"You showered and changed," Kwest said.

"Some waiter spilled a drink over me. I hate smelling like a brewery."

"See," Sadie reassured her boyfriend, "nothing happened." Tom walked away, resuming his host duties when Sadie pecked her boyfriend's lips. "It would be ridiculous if Jude and Tommy had a thing. Think about it, Kwest. Jude's too young for an affair and he's too _Tommy Q_ for a relationship. What do they even have in common?"

She could tell Kwest still had his doubts, but Sadie was convinced. The more she thought about it, the harder it became to picture Jude and Tommy together. Almost laughable.


	4. Chapter 4

**Sorry that it took so long. The next parts should be up sooner. ;)**

 **Chapter 4**

"Climbing down the fire escape of your apartment is not how I imagined the night would end." Jude grinned as she sat on the hood of Tommy's car in G-Major's parking garage two days later. "Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas to you," he said and placed both hands on her thighs, gently probing them apart to step in between. He leaned forward, angling for a kiss, but Jude averted her lips.

"Talk National came out today. Did you know that you had sex with, I quote, 'a good friend's girlfriend' during your party? They have it from a guest who was present and witnessed you and 'a sexy blonde' exit your bedroom." She looked at him, all playful and teasing. "Tell me, Tom Quincy, did you have sex with Sadie after I snuck out?"

Tommy chuckled as he leaned closer, whispering, "No. Why?" He placed one finger underneath her chin, tilting her face towards him. "Jealous?"

"Me?" Jude slowly shook her head. Her eyes were mysterious. Tommy tried reading her thoughts, tried to figure out her mood, but she was unreadable. Until one corner of her mouth moved up and a tiny wicked smile lit up her face. "Why would I be jealous? We both agreed that this," her finger motioned between them, "was just sex and nothing else."

"Right," he agreed. And attempted again to kiss her. This time she allowed it. "Just sex." His lips brushed against hers, very lightly. It was Jude who placed her hands on his head and pulled him closer, turning the kiss into something akin to foreplay. Immediately his hands moved from her legs up towards her butt, where he squeezed her, eliciting a moan. Their tongues danced a fierce number and with growing need Tommy pushed himself against her mound, desperate for friction. "Car…tinted windows," he said, hoarse and needy. It took all his strength to let go of her.

Jude hopped off the hood. She glanced over her shoulders, first right, then left, and when she was assured that they were alone, her hands went to the hem of her shirt and she pulled it up. Wearing only a flimsy black bra underneath, she leaned up against the side of his car, arched against the cool metal of the automobile. The bulky Hummer was huge and she was grateful he had taken the car that morning. It offered space and comfort. And privacy.

A sound of pure appreciation and great anticipation slipped from Tommy's throat as he pushed up against her, capturing her lips briefly. He had met a great many women in his life, and some had certainly enjoyed the idea of an audience, but kissing Jude in the parking lot of G-Major held an entirely different appeal. This was a women who dressed like a guy most times, and he had a hunch she'd snatch a shirt or a jacket of his given an opportunity. But the second their lips met, she transformed from almost innocent music nerd to sexiest woman alive. There was a captivating depth in her eyes that he couldn't escape. And while he was nowhere ready to jumpstart a relationship, the idea of spending time with another woman, especially outside the bedroom, had not been this alluring in a damn long time.

He unlocked his car and Jude opened the door to let him enter first. When he settled in the driver's seat, she licked her lips and climbed on top of him and he noticed that even during their most heated moments, her lips always carried the faint hint of a smile, leaving him with an unsettling and at the same time deeply rewarding feeling of pride. She was happy and he was the cause of it. Straddling him, Jude kissed him again, deep and hungry. His hands immediately went to work, but despite his best efforts, they went nowhere.

"Next time," Jude grumbled impatiently as slipped into the passenger's seat to take off her pants, "I'm wearing a skirt. This sucks!" She shoved them down as did the same with his.

"Never had car sex before, huh?" With a smug smile he leaned on top of her and kissed along the line of her jaw, leaving a fiery trail behind. Jude's eyes fluttered as she moaned his name, but her attention was pulled towards his erection and she licked her lips full of hunger as he stroke himself with one hand, while he supported his weight with the other. "It looks so simple in the movies," she told him, dazed and aroused, her voice a mere hush. Her fingers threaded in his hair when he went lower, suckling on the sensitive flesh of her breasts. "Don't stop!"

Tommy didn't. Instead, he let go of himself and redirected his entire focus on her. His mouth ventured lower, towards his desired destination. Jude's whole body shivered when his tongue licked her pebbled nub, and when he suckled gently, then firmer, she shivered and involuntarily clenched her legs together, trapping him. "Spread for me." His hands pushed them apart again, holding them in place. "I fucking love how you taste!" His voice was raspy and muffled. His tongue was doing magical things. The way his dark eyes crackled with lust were too much. She grabbed the door with one hand, his head with the other, and a few seconds later, she exploded beneath him.

"God, that was good," Jude purred, not minding his cocky grin the least. For a moment she caught her breath and simply looked at him as he got rid of his shirt. His hard chest, covered in tattoos, was calling out to her and she didn't even put up a fight. She undid her bra quickly, tossed it away, then pushed him back into his seat and climbed on top of him. Her hands raked across his skin, desperate to touch him. Being with him brought forth a kind of wildness she had not known before. She forgot all her inhibitions and simply lived in the moment.

He took to condom, quickly rolled it on and then grabbed her hips, placing her on top of him. Jude sank down with. She leaned back and placed her hands against the roof of the car, slowly rocking back and forth, quickly finding a rhythm. But the pleasure became almost unbearable. Both needed more. Jude struggled for something to hold on to. She found his shoulders. Tommy held on to her ass with one hand while the other kneaded her breasts. They mouths fused in a kiss so deep one couldn't tell where one ended and the other began. Tommy came first, growling, calling her name again and again, and Jude followed fast, before she collapsed in his arms.

Long minutes passed before any one had the strength to speak again. Still wrapped in his warm, dangerously comforting arms, she glanced at his watch and an odd thought crossed her mind. "Seven p.m. on Christmas. What were you doing at G-Major until now? Why were you even here?"

"I was working on something. Off the records." Tommy was in no hurry to let her go, instead he held her closer. Jude snuggled into his hold. "How did you know you'd find me here?"

"You weren't at home. This is the only other place I knew where you might be. I was lucky."

"So were you were looking for me?" He smiled. "On Christmas?"

"Just for sex," she clarified and sat up straight, surprisingly unbothered by the fact that she was completely naked. With him, she felt at ease. Confident.

And Tommy admired the sight. His fingertips traced idle figures on her hipbones. "Sure. Well, you had sex now. What's next?"

"How about some dinner? I'm really hungry."

"I thought we weren't doing the whole dating-thing."

"We're not. But if I hadn't shown up here to surprise you, you wouldn't have gotten sex tonight. That warrants some form of gratitude, doesn't it?" She flashed him a cheeky grin as her hands rested on his shoulders. "How about a home-cooked dinner. Consider it my Christmas present from you."

"I also thought we weren't doing gifts." Not that he minded spending more time with her. Quite the opposite. When she slipped back into the passenger's seat, he nonetheless started the car and headed home. "If dinner is my gift to you, what's your gift for me?"

Within seconds she was dressed again, wearing shirt and pants. Her underwear was still lost in his car. She had no interest in looking for it now. "Cook me dinner and we'll see about that present," she promised. With a gleam in her eyes she leaned towards him, nearer and nearer until her lips touched his earlobe. "You won't regret it, I promise." Then her tongue darted out and licked his ear.

His foot pressed down on the pedal and the car sped up. Jude leaned back, happy.

* * *

"You know," said Jude, grinning from ear to ear as Tommy kissed his way up her throat, "when I said 'home-cooked dinner', this really wasn't what I expected." She glanced at the sad display of instant noodle soup that stood not far away. "I was thinking of Lasagna, or Steak, or even something with vegetables."

Tommy chuckled against her jaw. "If I had known you'd trade sex for food, I'd have stocked up on Oysters and Caviar. I'd have gotten the best beef available. The finest pork. The tastiest fish."

"No fish," she let him know. For future consideration. "I'm more of a burger and fries kind of girl."

"I will remember that," he replied, still kissing her neck. His right hand slipped beneath her shirt, higher, towards the soft skin of her breast. Jude inhaled sharply when his thumb flicked over her erected nipple. When his teeth grazed her jawline, she shuddered in his arms. "I'll stock up on fast food first thing tomorrow morning."

"Will you?" She pulled on the hem of his shirt, wanting it gone. "Even though this night might be our last?" Her mouth kissed a path down his shoulder. "What if you meet the love of your life tomorrow? I'm a mere booty call. Should we really plan for future get-togethers?" Jude bit into his shoulder when his other hand slipped into her pants, to do wicked things between her legs.

"I don't believe in love," he whispered into her ear before suckling on her lobe. "So there's no reason not to plan for future get-togethers. Especially if those get-togethers are so incredibly satisfying," he added with a smirk.

Jude arched against him, overcome by bursts of pleasure. His index finger was doing wicked things deep within her. "Don't believe in love, huh?" She dug her nails into his back. "Bad experiences?"

"Every relationship I had in my life ended in a disaster. It didn't only end like that, it even began like that. Jealousy, fights, constantly having to apologize for things…" He met her lips tenderly, slowly brushing against them, before slipping his tongue into her open mouth. When she pulled back for air, he tugged on her lower lip with his teeth. "Relationships, love, all that…I've given up on it." He placed both of his hands on her butt, pulled her off the counter and carried her into his bedroom. "What about you," he wondered. "Will you leave me desperate for pleasure when you fall in love with somebody else?"

She slithered down against his hard frame, sunk down to her knees and licked her lips. "Who needs love when one can have sex like this," she said and proceeded to open his pants. His cock jutted up when she pushed his pants down. Jude took a hold of him, stroked him up and down, getting a feeling on his erection before she placed it against her mouth, then into it. Tommy groaned soundly, tangling one hand in her hair while the other one caressed her cheek with soft, almost loving touches. She let go of him with a 'plop'.

"You stop already," he half-complained.

Jude got up, pulled off her shirt and shoved her pants down, standing naked in front of him. "You want to come in my mouth or in me?" she asked with a sexy grin.

He kicked his pants off, grabbed her and placed her down on the bed. "If you ask me like that…" his mouth ventured down her throat, towards her chest. One hand reached for his nightstand. He fumbled to find a condom, but when he got one, he acted quickly and covered himself. "Be warned," he informed her all smug and cocky. "You might pass out from all the pleasure."

She laughed as she spread her legs for him. "Careful with those words. I might hold you up to them!" When he pushed in, she purred in bliss.

* * *

"Shit, where are my panties?" Jude wore only her shirt from last night as she crawled around on Tommy's bedroom floor, looking everywhere for that flimsy piece of fabric. "Damn it," she muttered as she hit her head on a drawer.

Standing in the doorway, utterly enjoying the sight in front of him, Tom Quincy smiled to himself. "You know, when I bought this place, the real estate agent said the view might be limited, but right now…"

Jude spun around and glared at him. Then she noticed that he was only wearing a towel. A few drops of water were taking their damn time running down the center of his chest. Her mouth went dry. "I'm late," she said, slightly distracted by his body. "Sadie called me three times already. I hadn't intended to stay the night, you know?"

"I'm not the one who insisted on a fourth time."

"You also weren't the one stopping the fifth time this morning," she reminded him. Not that she was complaining. But that didn't make her current situation any better. "If I stay out all night, it raises questions. For example, where I stayed. Seriously, are you going to stand there all day? Help me find my underwear!"

He laughed. "You're looking at the wrong place. You weren't wearing any underwear when we got here."

"The car. Damn!"

"Why is it so important to find them now?" Tommy walked up to her, held out his hand and helped her up. Immediately, he lowered his head and placed a gentle kiss on her lips. She smiled up at him sunnily.

"I guess I can go home without them," she conceded.

"Need a ride?"

"No. I'll take the cab. If anyone sees you near my house, they'll know what happened. And," she said as she leaned up to kiss him again, "I can't let that happen. You're my dirty little secret. Let's make sure it stays that way." When he wrapped his arms around her, she snuggled deeper into his embrace. "Tonight? Here?"

"One of Kwest's friends performs as a bar tonight. I'm invited. Come, too."

"Sadie and Kwest will be there."

He nodded.

Jude buried her face into the crook of his shoulder, enjoying the smell of his soap that mixed with his natural scent. It was intoxicating. Her phone went off again and she groaned in protest. "If I show up at that club tonight, we have to be very careful. We wouldn't be able to even dance with one another."

"Why not," asked Tommy as he took a hold of her hand and placed it on his shoulder. The other he placed on her hip, then lower, on an unclad butt-cheek. Jude grinned. He began to hum a melody and moved them gently to the rhythm. "We'd make a great couple on the dance floor," he whispered into her ear.

She swayed with him. "We'd make such a good couple that every guest would know right away that we're sleeping with one another." His hardening cock nudged against her bare mound. She bit her lip as she closed her eyes, fighting the urge to stay for another round. "I'll show up tonight," she agreed and tentatively brought some distance between them. "Under one condition: You will have to be mean to me. And snarky. And arrogant. You know, like you used to behave before we discovered sex as a good outlet for those frustrations."

He pulled her back against his, spun them around, and laughed full of amusement. "I'll promise to do that. Try to do the same, without pouring any drinks over my head."

"I promise not to pour anything on you while at the club. I can't make that promise for when we get back here. I discovered some honey in the back of your cabinet." She winked wickedly before smacking a kiss on his lips. "If I don't go now, I'll never leave."

"Then stay," he said without a second of hesitation.

The corners of her mouth turned up, but she shook her head. With much regret she let go of him and grabbed her pants. "Later, Quincy!"

"I will hold you to that promise," he smirked.

* * *

"You seriously want me to believe you stayed the night at Kat's house?" Sadie leaned against the bar of one of the fanciest clubs in Toronto, sipping on her Manhattan. "I think you're hiding a boyfriend. There's this look in your eyes…this glow. I think you're actually in love with somebody. You know I can keep a secret so if you don't want Mom and Dad to find out, that's okay. You can still tell me!"

Jude held on to her diet coke. "I don't have a boyfriend. And that is not a lie. I swear on Grandma's grave."

"But you're seeing somebody," Sadie pressed on.

"No." Jude forced herself not to look to her right. A few feet away Tommy and Kwest were talking to some other people. Tommy was wearing a pair of snug fitting dark jeans and a black button down shirt that accentuated his fine, muscled body. His sleeves were rolled up. She'd read the term 'forearm porn' on the Internet not too long ago and had laughed. But now? Tommy had some really nice forearms. Tan and strong. She took another sip and forced herself to look away. If she didn't watch herself, Sadie would figure out what was going on. Her sister had a sixth sense for stuff like that. "I'm a happy single," Jude assured her.

"I don't believe you for one second. You don't look like a happy single. You look thoroughly fucked!"

"Sadie!" Jude giggled. "I do not!"

"Whatever. I don't believe you anyway." But before they could continue with that conversation, they were interrupted by Kwest and Tommy, who walked up to them. Sadie flashed a flirty smile in Kwest's direction, while Jude barely met Tommy's eyes.

"Don't tell me you guys are still fighting with another," said Sadie as she reached for her drink again. "I thought you were past that."

"We try to be civil with one another," Jude answered. And then she met Tommy's eyes. Deeply hidden in his mythically blue eyes was a look that only she could decipher. A look that told her of his longings, his desires, his lust. She'd seen it so often last night. When he was deep within her, when there were no layers, no boundaries left between them, then she felt as though she could see straight into his soul. Into his heart. She could read him like an open book. Just as he could read her. That might be why their sex was so phenomenal. They just knew what the other one craved. What touch was needed. What caress wanted.

"Civil," Tommy agreed as he turned away towards the bar, to order another drink. "Vodka." If he had to endure this night, then he required something stronger than beer. He couldn't remember the last time that he'd been so drawn to a woman that he even considered taking her right here, in front of a hundred people, just to satisfy his urges. "After what she did to me and my car, that's all Jude can expect from me."

Jude grinned inwardly. Thank God he had said something as snide as that. It gave her the opportunity to reply with something equally dismissive. And she needed to be dismissive. Else she would grab his head, pull it down, and kiss him until her lips would fall off. "And after what he did to me, even convincing Mom and Dad to help him, civility is already more than he deserves."

Tommy looked over his shoulder, Vodka in his hand, meeting her eyes. If he had to pin down the color of her eyes, he'd not be able to do it. He had never seen eyes so deep, so full of emotion. He had never seen eyes so honest and open. So vulnerable. So beautiful. "There's somebody on the other side of the club that I need to say 'hi' to. Excuse me." He practically ran away.

"You guys should really talk it out," Kwest said as he took a seat next to Sadie. "It's likely you'll see each other again, especially if you really start working for Darius. It can't go on like this. What if D assigns Tommy as your producer?"

Jude barely listened. She was counting the seconds, barely able to wait to be back at his apartment, in his arms, kissing and touching. Her mouth ran dry and she finished the rest of her diet coke. "I need to go to the ladies' room," said Jude and made her way to the back of the club.

"For a while I thought she and Tommy might be hooking up, but every time I see them together, I'm worried for Jude's future at G-Major," Sadie admitted as she watched Jude disappear. "They look like they genuinely hate another."

"I know," Kwest agreed. "I even warned Tommy to stay away from Jude, but I guess that was superfluous."

* * *

"Thank God you're wearing a skirt," Tommy breathed as he slammed the door of the supply closet shut. His lips were hot on her shoulders, her top pooled around her waist and Jude wiggled against him as she shimmied out of her panties. Once they pooled on the floor, she held on to his shoulders and jumped up. Tom already had his pants undone and shoved into her fast and hard. She bit down on his shoulder, trying to keep quiet, but the intense pleasure was almost to much. It didn't take any foreplay to be wet. The moment at the bar a minute ago was all that had been needed. Tommy had cornered her as soon as she had made her way to the back of the club. She'd come looking for him. Never in her life had she felt so much desire for a man. This urge to be with him, to be taken by him, again and again, was utterly new and completely arousing.

"Harder," Jude moaned into his ear, driving her hand through his thick, artfully disheveled hair. He held her up with one arm while his other hand fondled her breast. Jude dragged her nails across his back, breathing heavily. "Yes…fuck me…yes, yes!"

"Come for me," he growled, thrusting into her again and again, faster each time. "Come, baby, come for me!" He kissed her hard when he came, taking her with him over the edge.

They stayed in their position for a few moments, catching their breaths. Jude's forehead, damp with sweat, rested against Tommy's and she smiled at him with bright, satisfied eyes. "We're really good at this!"

He laughed. Lowering his head, he met her lips in a slow, languid kiss. She arched against him, moaning into the it. When she broke away, Tommy gently cupped her face. "You're incredibly beautiful. Did I ever tell you that?"

She blushed under his intense gaze. "Am I glowing? Sadie said I was. Guess I have you to blame for that."

"You're not just glowing, you're feverish." He traced a line from her cheek to her jaw, then lower down her throat. "You're burning up."

"You do that to me." She pulled him in for another kiss. "Let's get out of here. I think I need a cold shower."

"How convenient," Tommy grinned. "I was just about to say the same. Lucky for us, I have a big shower at home, just waiting to be used."

"Big, huh?" Jude's tongue stroked against his.

"Very big," he croaked.

"Are we still talking about the shower?" She felt him grow hard inside her again. He pulled out, painfully slow. Jude settled back on her own feet and bend down to pick up her panties. She stuffed them into his pocket. "Another one to add to your collection."

With a smirk he zipped himself up and opened the door behind her, but not before giving her yet another kiss. "You go first." He slipped a his keys into her hand. "For the car and the apartment. Go ahead. I'll take a cab and follow you in a few minutes."

"I'll slip out the back. Tell Sadie and Kwest I ran into guy from school and that I went to another party with him." She pecked his lips anew. "And hurry home." With a look full of promises she left the room.

A moment later, Tommy followed and made his way back to Sadie and Kwest.


End file.
